Pilot's tip of the week

Backup Navigation

Featuring

Subscriber question:

 "What's the best and quickest way to locate my position and resume navigation if the GPS goes out?" - Anonymous

Wally:

“GPS is a great tool for us to maintain situational awareness but just like other things in the aircraft, we need a plan if it fails.

Backup navigationA good airman does not blindly follow the GPS, they have the appropriate charts and maintain an awareness of their location at all times. So if the GPS should fail, they are already aware of their current position.

Further, I have seen GPS databases that did not have the correct dimensions for class D airspace and if a pilot had relied entirely on that database they could easily violate the airspace.

So be sure you have appropriate charts and keep up to date with your position at all times.

Remember the GPS is a tool not a crutch.”

(NEW) VFR Mastery scenario #69 “Something’s Come Up” is now available. Passenger airsickness is an annoyance that almost every pilot has had to deal with at one time or another. Landing ASAP is the rule, but VFR above the clouds complicates the execution. The passenger might not be the only problem as well. Maybe you shouldn’t have ordered the fish. Watch the Intro video.

Get the Pilot’s Tip of the Week

Sign up here to receive tips like this every week along with videos, quizzes and more.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.